Just one of those days

Some mornings are just hard.  We may only have one child, but that doesn't mean parenting is any easier for us.  My six-and-a-half year old son is VERY strong willed, always determined to get his own way, and he has our sarcasm down to a T.  These things do not mix well for an easy morning to get out of the house.  By the time we need to leave in the morning my husband has already been out of the house and at work for at least five hours.  If things start to go downhill, they go down very quickly since I do not have another level-headed party to step in and calm us down.  And today was just one of those days....

Things were going great this morning and we were even downstairs for breakfast early.  Then the subject of today's school book fair came up and that's when it all unraveled.  Last year I sent CD to school with money to get a new book and he came home with something way under his age group.  He was in kindergarten and this book was definitely something for a preschooler or younger.  But he loved it and I allowed him to keep it, but I insisted that he had to read it to me instead of the other way around.  And reluctantly he did (reading was a new skill at that time).  This year I asked him to get a book more age appropriate.  "But I love touch-and-feel books!"  I don't care....they are for three year olds, not six year olds.  And if I'm spending MY twenty dollars on a book, I want it to be something less juvenile.  

Oh, how the morning fell apart.  He became disrespectful.  I took away the money.  Voices were raised.  Tempers flew.  A plate broke (completely by accident, but it really did not help my anger or his need to poke at the bear).  Tears were close to being shed (mine, of course).

We finally got through breakfast in silence and when he politely asked if he could have the money back, I caved in.  But I stuck with my condition that it had to be age-appropriate.

As we pulled up to school I apologized for losing my temper.  I hate being away from him all day and feeling like we parted on bad terms.  I told him that I loved him, and when I saw the sign for the fair I added "enjoy the book fair."

He got unbuckled, grabbed his backpack and said "I can't wait to get my touch-and-feel book!" Then he gave me a smirk and leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek.  In the two years that I have been dropping him off at school that boy has never kissed me on the cheek before exiting the car before.  And that's when I knew for sure that kid was a perfect mix of his parents.  Sarcasm and all.